Big Brother And The Holding Company, "Cheap Thrills," 1968 1st Pressing, VG= VG+

$

30

Dr. John's Spin Factory brings you an album from 1968 that topped the Billboard charts and introduced the world to one Janus Joplin, a voice unlike any before or since.  Please welcome Big Brother And The Holding Company's Cheap Thrills!  This copy is a first pressing, Columbia "2-Eye" and is a must have for any lover of late 60s, psychedelic rock culture (Hendrix, Cream, Doors, Dead)   
The vinyl has been thoroughly cleaned with the Kirmuss Ultrasonic Cleaning system.  The vinyl is shiny black and mostly sounds VG+ or better with occasional surface noise and a few very light sounding scratches (that are not immediately visible casually or very intrusive).  But here's where this record noise thing gets interesting.  While the first song on side 1 starts with an announcer introducing the band to an audience, in truth, only one song on the entire album was recorded live, which is "Ball and Chain," the very last song on the album.  What's up with that?  Apparently the producers wanted to give the impression that the whole album was live (which I long thought was true), which was likely on the grounds that the band had been a HUGE hit with audiences across the country for months.  The big reason?  One Ms. Joplin, whose vocal chops were mind bending.  (The fake announcer at the start of the album introduces the band with, "Four gentlemen and one amazing broad."). He, the announcer was not wrong.  In fact this album represents about half of Janis Joplin's 5-star output in her (all too short) life. (Died at age 27.)  The other 50% of Ms. Joplin's legacy of amazingness?  Her second, and final, studio album as a solo artist, "Pearl."  That too, was beyond great.
And, I digress from a key point to make about the audience noises Columbia sprinkled in throughout this disc.  Sometimes those noises draw unmusical attention to themselves, such as the sounds of people talking, tabletop dinnerware sounds, and what I'm guessing is a server dropping and breaking a glass.  White these background sounds do not take away from the performances, on first listen you might conclude (and not irrationally) that some of these noises involve damage to the vinyl sustained over 58 years of existence.  And, uh, no.  All of that stuff in the background to simulate a live venue was intentional.  

This disc has been cleaned and re-cleaned using the Kirmuss Ultrasonic system, which improved playback volume, clarity, and emotional impact quite noticeably.  It's a big reason you may not even notice the occasional noisy vinyl.  It's just such in-your-face fun.  Janis is, of course, the star with her uniquely gravely, over-the-top amazing voice.  
Good luck!  May your bring always have more room for more great music... Dr. John